Saudi Crown Prince Hosts UAE Vice-President Amid Yemen Crisis as WHO Warns Health System Nearing Collapse

Saudi Arabia's crown prince received the vice-president of the United Arab Emirates in Riyadh on Tuesday, as the World Health Organization warned that Yemen's health system is nearing a "breaking point," according to RFI.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are described by RFI as both regional competitors and allies, a dynamic that has played out directly in Yemen, where the two countries backed opposing sides in fighting earlier this year.

Despite that earlier friction, Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen's government forces, is now seeking support from Abu Dhabi and its allies on the ground as Houthi rebels continue to advance, according to the report.

Fighting continues in the highlands overlooking the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb strait, which is now under Houthi control, RFI reported, underscoring the military significance of the area for regional shipping and security.

The RFI report did not provide further detail on the specific outcomes of Tuesday's meeting between the Saudi crown prince and the UAE vice-president, nor did it specify what forms of support Riyadh is seeking from Abu Dhabi in the Yemen conflict.

Yemen has endured years of civil war involving multiple domestic and international parties, a conflict that has repeatedly strained the country's health infrastructure and contributed to what humanitarian organizations have long described as one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.

The World Health Organization's warning about the health system approaching collapse adds to a long series of alerts from international bodies about the toll the conflict has taken on Yemen's civilian population, though the RFI report did not detail the specific findings or data behind the WHO's latest assessment.